Enchanted
by 8belles
Summary: Moloch has found a way to kill Ichabod- by using an evil spirit to undo Katrina's life saving spell. Can Abbie, Jenny and Irving safe Ichabod before his spell is broken?
1. Chapter 1

Enchanted

Ichabod lay tucked warm in his bed under a pile of covers in the small hours of the night. Abbie had showed him the 'thermostat' but he was uncomfortable adjusting it, so had left the settings to summertime temperatures. The cabin was exceptionally cold after a hard frost outside.

He and Abbie had put in a long night of rum drinking after the tragic information he received from Abbie's vision in the haunted house. They regaled in happier stories from both their lifetimes instead of dwelling on the oppressive present and almost didn't make it home to their respective habitations.

In the darkness, no one saw the wisp of a Shade creep through the floorboard of the old cabin. It snaked across the planks like ebony serpent intent on its victim. Approaching Ichabod's bed silently, the wraith reared up before him sending out tendrils that resembled hands and loosely, a body.

Golden light was visible to it; the life force spell that Katrina had placed on Ichabod long ago enveloped him in a halo of faint suffused light but was very bright over his torso. The place Katrina had lain the Bible on his chest, where the Horseman had cleaved open his ribs glowed so brightly the Shade had to squint its "eyes". If the evil above him were able, it would have hissed in delight. Moloch had promised it this life force spell all to itself. Pulling the covers back with a wave of a cloudlike hand, it exposed the heavily sleeping Ichabod. Like a lover undressing their partner, the Shade unlaced the top of Ichabod's shirt to expose the axe scar. The golden light was almost too much for the Shade to handle, the pureness and beauty of the spell was enthralling yet repulsive to it.

Finding the stitching of her spell, the Shade plucked at one thread and it broke in an exquisite burst of light. Power flooded through the evil spirit and Ichabod stirred as if in pain. The wraith paused as the rush of power enveloped it and then plucked another thread that held Ichabod's ancient wound healed. Ichabod sat up gasping, clutching his chest. The wraith evaporated before his eyes could set themselves on the malevolent presence.

In the dark, Ichabod felt his chest, a tendril of memory from the battle with the Horseman flickering over his mind. The fumes of rum also swirling in his brain made his judgment muddy as to what was just touching him if anything at all. He didn't recall having his shirt undone, or being uncovered in the chilly air, but it could have been a bad dream. His noticed his hand felt wet and something was running down his chest. Getting up from bed, his feet hit the icy floor and his toes recoiled for a moment. With a shiver, he padded to the rest room and paused before remembering to flick on a light. When he did, he gazed into the mirror, his eyes squinting in the sudden brightness and his hangover pounding in his head.

With some alarm, he examined his chest. The white scar, a neat line eighteen inches long from the top of his left shoulder to almost his right hip was bright in the artificial light but what attracted his attention was the trickle of blood oozing down from his shoulder at the beginning of the scar. _What in the Lords name did this?_ He thought hazily from his sleepy fog and rum. It didn't hurt as much as it looked odd to him, but there was a strange feeling of dread over him. Taking a towel and wetting it with water he dabbed at the blood. His skin was parted there, like the edges had never healed from the initial wound. Still more curious than alarmed, Ichabod applied what Abbie had described as a "band-aide" or modern form of wound dressing, over the laceration. Fumbling with the adhesive, it took him three tries to get one to stick.

Feeling better, and still woozy, Ichabod stumbled back off to bed and absently thought about asking Abbie how to work the thermostat in the morning. The Shade observed his prey from the corner, almost licking its nonexistent lips in anticipation of more feeding_. Patience_, came a voice in the creature's head. It was Moloch, _Patience_.


	2. Chapter 2

Enchanted ch 2

Abbie's head pounded from her Thanksgiving of rum. The light in the office was not a welcome thing, neither were the incessant phone ringing, the keyboards clacking, the squeaking floor, the hum of the overhead lights, which she never noticed before until now. "Rough night, lieutenant?" Irving's voice cut through her skull like a knife in hot butter.

Halting where she stood, she turned to the horrendous sound of her boss's voice, "Yes, sir." was all she could mange, gritting her teeth.

"Ichabod isn't looking well either." Irving remarked with a smirk and sip of coffee from his mug that read "MY WAY" on the side. Abbie hated that mug and cursed the brown nosing officer who gave it to him. _Wait, that was Luke wasn't it?_ she absently asked herself before realizing something else.

"Who drove Crane in?" she asked, peering at Irving.

"Jenny." The captain replied and turned his back to enter his office.

Abbie felt dread that Ichabod would be alone with Jenny. Who knows what crazy ideas they were concocting in the Annex? Rushing to the coffee machine for a cup of courage, she made her way to the Annex to see what dooms day issues they were dealing with or inventing!

"Washington was never standing there in the prow of the boat." Abbie could hear Ichabod's voice lecturing from the hallway, " He was much too sensible and chose to sit down! However, it makes a striking picture, I suppose." Abbie entered the round room of the Annex to see Ichabod gesturing towards the large mural above of the "Crossing of the Delaware" with George standing proudly in the bow of the small boats that carried his army over the semi-frozen river away from the English.

Jenny stood next to Ichabod, their backs to Abbie coming up the tunnel, and Abby felt a stab of sibling jealousy. Ichabod was **her** partner, not Jenny's. Old feelings of stolen social circles surfaced in her mind with the rum haze but Abbie shoved them aside. "Good morning!" Abbie said as loudly as she could without hurting her own head and she saw Ichabod flinch. _Rum hangovers are a bitch_,_ Crane_, she thought irritably.

Both turned to see Abbie and Ichabod's appearance stopped her cold for a moment. He was pale and sweating slightly, his eyes sunken in like he had not slept in years and a bit … aged?

" Well you look like hell, Crane." Abbie said unapologetically.

Ichabod shook himself like a bird of prey ruffling its feathers and regarded her as best he could with his bloodshot eyes, "Leftenant, a pleasure to see you as well this morn." Abbie noted his lack of use of her last name. He only did that in tense situations or when he was annoyed. She chose to think he was the latter.

Jenny watched with rapt attention at the pair of hung over partners. She was thinking maybe her cooking yesterday wasn't as bad as their liquid turkey was treating them now.

"Thanks. Sorry I didn't bring more coffee. I just got here." Abbie said breezing past the two from the hallway entrance.

"We haven't been her long either. Mr. Union Jack here wasn't feeling well either." Jenny inserted.

"I am most certainly fine. And please do not refer to me with the flag of my former country. I am as American as you." Ichabod sniffed as the leaned over to clutch the back of a chair with white knuckles. His stomach raised a complaint with his brain.

"What is our next order of business? I could be Black Friday shopping right now." Abbie replied ignoring the verbal barbs between the two.

"I was going to review the census data for the Sleepy Hollow area with Jenny's assistance… for my son." Ichabod said but his voice faltered slightly at the end.

"With the computer? You know what I had to do to that laptop after you had messed with it, Crane? I almost got fired for all the malware you downloaded and kinky websites you clicked on. IT thought I was some perv!" Abbie began to grind into Crane, her headache intensifying.

"Acronyms and terminology, Ms. Mills!" Ichabod responded, his own voice rising.

"Ok, Thing One and Thing Two, knock it off!" Jenny interjected, " I think both of you need some rest, water and a nap. I've had too many holidays ruined by arguing friends and relatives."

The both of them stopped and looked at Jenny, Abbie seeing an older, wiser woman in her midst, which swelled her heart with pride. Then Ichabod took an appreciative look and then passed out on the floor.

"Crane!" the sisters exclaimed in unison at the lanky man crumpling into a heap on the flagstones.

"Sorry.. Just feeling a bit weak." Ichabod said as he lay on the cold floor. His memory flashed back to his Mason spell guarded grave under the waterfall.

"A hang over doesn't make you weak. Did you eat anything strange last night?" Abbie asked noting his pallor and seeing flashes of pain sweep his expression.

"No. Nothing." Ichabod panted and then convulsed with agony.

"Take his jacket off!" Abbie ordered and they worked the wool coat from Ichabod's body, pillowing it under his head.

"Abbie, look!" Jenny exhaled in disbelief. Abbie turned to see what she was looking at and a large bloodstain had formed over his left side.

Abbie began to unlace his shirt quickly as Ichabod raised an arm to complain, "Sorry Crane. Nothing personal."

She exposed his chest and saw the white line crossing it from the Horseman but now the upper three inches was parted, blood flowing freely from the wound as if it had never healed in the first place. "I'll get first aide and Irving." Jenny said quickly and ran off.

"Crane! What did you do to yourself?" Abbie asked incredulously, searching the room for something to compress on the wound. She found a box of tissues, folded them into a pad and applied pressure.

Ichabod winced at her touching the wound, but did not waiver his gaze, "I think Katrina's spell is coming undone."

"What do you mean?" Abbie replied but afraid of his answer.

"The spell she placed upon me to save my life, heal my grievous wound, is now coming undone." he replied, his voice tense with pain.

" How… When did this start?" Abbie asked quickly as she heard footsteps running down the hall towards them.

"Last night. I saw- " Ichabod caught his breath as another stab of pain coursed through him," the beginning of the cut opening."

"Ok. Ok. Relax. We got this. You'll be fine." Abbie replied as Jenny and Irving entered the room. Ichabod gave her a small smile.

"I trust my life to your capable hands." Crane answered looking exhausted. Abbie gave him her own smile but not sure about the outcome.

"What is going on, _now?_!" Irving said irritated, panting from his run down the catacombs.

"We need to get Crane to the hospital. Something has happened to the spell that resurrected him. It's coming apart." Abbie summarized.

"How? It got him out of a tomb and now he's falling apart?" Irving commented dryly.

Jenny scowled at him, "Hey, this is my friend, not some antique!"

"Ok, ok. Let me help you carry him." Irving replied raising his hands in supplication. He bent down to heave the tall Revolutionary to his feet. Ichabod clenched his jaw to prevent crying out. Jenny saw a new wave of crimson fountain forth and Abbie said a prayer for all of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Enchanted ch 3

The Captain practically dragged Ichabod with one arm to the parking lot door and out into the chilly sunlight. Fumbling for his keys, he unlocked his personal vehicle and helped Crane into the back seat. Abbie hopped in the opposite side and Jenny took the front seat, "Hold onto your butts!" Irving commented as he slammed the transmission into reverse and then drive, rocketing them off to the hospital.

"Isn't that from Jurassic Park?" Jenny asked after a tense few moments to break the silence.

"Yep. Best date movie- ever." Irving affirmed swerving left and right around traffic. A cacophony of car horns followed in his wake. Abbie tried to reapply the compress as in the back seat while thinking she was going to vomit and Ichabod was becoming incoherent leaning against her in the wildly moving vehicle.

Finding the ER bay of the Sleepy Hollow Regional Hospital was not difficult and Abbie was glad to see they were not very busy with patients. Jenny jumped out the door of the SUV before Frank had stopped fully and rushed inside. Out boiled a team of doctors, nurses and a wheeled gurney summoned as if by magic. They hustled Ichabod out of the car carefully and onto the gurney and indoors while peppering Abbie and Jenny with medical questions.

"Do you know when he last ate?" a nurse asked Abbie.

"Over 24 hours ago." Abbie replied, her headache reaching a fever pitch in her skull.

"What did he eat?" the nurse pursued.

" I… I don't know. We were … drinking last night." Abbie admitted feeling like she was tattling on herself to her mother about sneaking alcohol.

The nurse gave her a look, "_What_ were you drinking?"

"Rum. Lots." Abbie said shamefaced.

"Hmm." The nurse grabbed Abbie's arm and held her firm as Ichabod's gurney wheeled onward past the immutable double doors of the ER. "You have to stay here. I have a few more questions for you."

Abbie's eyes followed him till even Crane's antiquated boots disappeared behind the swishing doors. Her heart almost stopped with dread. Jenny gave her shoulder a squeeze and Frank stood mutely behind but she felt his sympathy emanating from him.

"Is he your boyfriend?" the nurse queried, glancing down at her IPad as she took medical history.

"No. Just a friend. A very good friend." Mills replied quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

Enchanted ch 4

In the ER the doctors removed Crane's clothes to examine the wound. The attending physician remarked Crane was at the hospital just a few months prior with the plague the CDC had investigated and never came to a conclusion. The attending and secondary staff gave each other a cautious look before proceeding. Electrodes were stuck to Ichabod's skin and a pulse oximeter slipped onto his finger producing a faint beep on the readout and multicolored lines indicating a host of biometrics.

"BP is steady but low. His O2 saturation is not ideal. Let's get a cannula on him now." Dr. Dunaway, the attending, remarked calmly to the nurse, who laced the plastic tubing up Ichabod's nose and around his ears. She attached it to the oxygen supply on the wall and turned the gas on to the appropriate dose.

"The blood panel just came back. He's got elevated white count, and his RBC's are extremely low. There is no clotting factor to speak of." the head nurse reported.

"Let's get a bag on him and push the clotting factors." Dr. Dunaway responded and another nurse hung a bag of blood on the IV pole and expertly inserted the needle into Ichabod's arm. A thin line of crimson trickled down the tubing. " When he's stable, get a MRI. I want to see what is going on inside him."

"Katrina… Katrina." Ichabod, eyes closed, mumbled among the beeping and medical conversation. No one paid him attention. Sweat beaded along his hairline and plastered his longer locks that had escaped his trademark ponytail to his temples. He felt his head swimming as if underwater and it was hard to breathe, like a weight was sitting on his chest sucking the life from him. Flickers of lights and unfamiliar voices were around him, things fastened to his skin, pricks like the stings of bees wounding him but he was helpless to intervene. Opening his eyes, he saw a vision before him, like a heat mirage on hot asphalt hovering above him lapping his skin with an invisible tongue. Each rasp of the Shade's touch sucked more life from him " Abbie!" he cried out suddenly, eyes wide open at the horror sitting above him. With a convulsive shove, he tried to push the wraith off of him, doctors and nurses responding by holding him down, "Abbie!" he cried out again as he struggled against the medical personnel who could not see the demon.

Mills felt a nagging premonition she needed to be with Ichabod. It ached at the back of her head that was not part of her rum hangover. She couldn't put a finger on it but stood in the waiting room and eyed the swinging double door with cunning. "What are you thinking?" Jenny said knowing that look on her sister's face.

"Nothing." She replied nonchalantly and then in her mind she heard Ichabod call out her name.

Running full tilt through the swinging doors like an NFL linebacker, she just timed it with a physician exiting letting her slip in without having to tear the doors off the hinges. She heard his voice calling her name and ran to it as fast as she could swearing to herself that something invisible was trying to hold her back.

Jenny and Frank tore off after her despite the protests of the ER staff.

"I'm coming, Crane!" Abbie ran down what she thought was the longest hall way ever built until she ripped back the curtain that separated Ichabod's area from other ER patients. She saw it, the horrific, grotesque Shade sitting in the air above Ichabod with his blood on its lips, a paler sicker Crane below him. Not paying attention to the nurses and doctors, who looked surprised at her presence, she addressed the spirit in a low, powerful voice, "Get off him, NOW."

The Shade turned to look at her over its shoulder and made a hissing noise only audible to her and Ichabod. Abbie stepped forward and pulled out a silver chain with a simple cross hanging from it from under her shirt. The creature flinched at the sight. Approaching Crane's bedside, Abbie pulled the chain off from around her neck and wrapped it around her hand, which she curled into a fist. "LEAVE!" she commanded the Shade and cocked her hand back to punch the creature.

With a deep guttural growl, the Shade swiped at Ichabod's chest cutting the golden lines of Katrina's spell making the scar erupt as if the Horseman had cleaved it afresh right there before her eyes. It then rocketed up to the ceiling, vanishing in the process but leaving a rain of fresh blood droplets to drip down on them. Ichabod howled out in in pain as his wound was opened anew.

The ER staff would talk for years about the day the 'crazy' cop burst into their triage area and yelled at no one in particular to get away from the patient, remove her necklace and as she approached, the patient had wounds appear as if by magic. However, ER doctors are pragmatic by nature and dealing with emergencies is their specialty. Seeing Ichabod's body open like a surgeon had carved an incision across his torso with an invisible hand didn't seem to faze them.

Leaping into action, Ichabod was surrounded by competent hands and all the medical knowledge of the twenty first century.

Jenny and Frank caught up with Abbie and Jenny was about to yell at her sister until she saw Abbie's face, "You look like you've seen a… ghost."

"No. Not a ghost. A demon sucking Ichabod's life away. It's breaking the spell. Katrina's spell." Abbie said absently looking past Jenny at Ichabod, who looked virtually lifeless as they tried to close the wound on his chest. Mills heard 'surgery stat' and watched them pack up devices and equipment to wheel him away.

A nurse approached and said firmly, "I need to ask you to leave, now." She was accompanied by a hospital security guard.

Abbie smiled sheepishly and let her sister explain some lame excuse for her behavior. Frank intervened and put a supportive hand around her shoulder to lead her away from the scene.

"Where did you get the silver necklace idea?" Jenny asked as they move down the hall, back to the waiting room.

"Well, it works with vampires, so I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea for evil spirits." Abbie replied, her heart and mind still wondering about Ichabod.

Jenny smirked, "Well, glad to see you've finally learned _something_ about the paranormal." Seeing her sister was still shaken she offered, "We'll solve this. He'll be ok."

Abbie looked at Jenny and then at Frank she set her jaw, "Let's get that Bible. We have a witch to contact."


	5. Chapter 5

Enchanted ch5

Abbie didn't want to wait for a prognosis as Corbin's face swam before her in memory. She knew it was do or die and damned if she's let another partner die on her! "Take us back to the Annex." she almost barked at Frank who, for once, did not complain at her tone. She didn't dare look back at the hospital, fearing she'd lose her composure which was hanging by a thread at the moment.

The round room held many antiquities and treasures but Abbie was almost at a loss of where to start without Ichabod there. These things were _his time _and_ his things_. Jenny stood in the middle of the room, hands on hips and brow furrowed, thinking. Washington's Bible was annotated with many comments, but Abbie did not see anything about how to contact Katrina_. It wouldn't be here in plain English anyway so why are you looking?,_ Mills said to herself, annoyed.

"What about Reverend Knapp?" Jenny said quietly, breaking the near silence of page flipping.

Abbie looked up from the Bible, "What do you mean?"

"Obviously our good Sherriff didn't fill you in on the dear old Knapp." Jenny replied swaggering over to Corbin's cabinet.

"I'm all ears." Abbie straightened up at the podium.

"Corbin discovered that the Reverend was a warlock who may be from Ichabod's time. Part of Katrina's coven." Jenny paused, "Well… he didn't have hard proof, but the fact that Pony Boy beheaded him first was no coincidence." She began to flip through the files and pulled out a newspaper clipping about some odd-looking séance stuff happening in the surrounding woods. Abbie glanced at it and noticed an accompanying photo of Knapp standing in the background. He was quoted as saying the pentagram was probably just some teens having fun, but he'd be happy to consecrate the area for those who were concerned. Mills noticed he didn't look very scared or worried in the picture, but rather amused.

"He was working some magic and someone found it. That's why he looks like he's about to laugh in the picture?" Mills replied dubiously cutting her eyes sideways at her sister.

Jenny nodded, "Thin, I know but it's all we got. I think he'd be easier to get a hold of instead of Katrina. She's a bit …preoccupied."

"Then let's go." Abbie said without missing a step and not daring to look at the clock.

The woods were not far from the churchyard, but tucked out of view sufficiently to avoid immediate detection. Using the article as the only map they had, Jenny, Irving and Abbie fanned out and searched through the fallen leaves for the pentagram. The smell of wood smoke hung in the fall air and the scent of forest hummus wafted up to their noses as they kicked about the leaf litter.

The afternoon sun was weak and the sun angle low although it was just after noon, sending a bit of a chill through Abbie. She was feeling tired, frustrated and angry at her inability to find a simple location that was described in some detail from the newspaper clipping. _Damn you, Crane, this is _YOUR _department, not mine! I'm no friggin Girl Scout! _she yelled in her head and clenched her fists, thinking back to the Roanoke colony and their fancy notched trees to show the way to cross the pond. Suddenly, her foot kicked something in the leaf litter making her trip. Down she fell for what seemed eternity and a thin scream escaped her mouth before landing on a pile of leaves. She leaped to her feet, not feeling hurt from her fall, hand on her holster.

_A circle of light surrounded her, like at the bottom of a well. Looking all around, Abbie could see nothing or hear nothing. Upward there was only blinding light. Looking down at her feet, she saw the silvery lines of a pentagram angling out to different directions. "Jenny?" she tried tentatively wondering what sort of surprises to expect, "Irving?"_

"_They can't hear you, Miss Mills." came a familiar voice she had not heard in a long time. _

"_Reverend Knapp?" Abbie asked into the surrounding darkness, hand still on her gun in the holster. _

"_Yes, dear. One in the same." He stepped into the light, his black robes brushing the ground, his red sash still neatly tied around his waist and a small smile on his lined face. _

"_Reverend, you have to help me. Ichabod is… in trouble." Abbie gushed, letting go of her pistol and reaching out to the ghost of the late minister. _

"_I know. I've been watching." he replied sympathetically his old eyes gloomy._

"_Then what do I have to do? Can you get to Katrina? Can she repeat the spell? How do I kill this thing!" Abbie stopped when she heard her voice becoming shrill in her ears. The ache in her soul for all of her loss became acute. _

"_Child, there is nothing I can do. Katrina is not able to cast spells from Purgatory." Knapp replied, looking forlorn._

_Abbie felt as if he had just punched her in the gut, "Ok… Ok…so, let me, let me get this straight." She held out her hand towards him palm up in disbelief feeling rage tinge her vision red, "I am suppose to sit back and watch another good man DIE from some creature I saw as a child?" _

"_Of course not, Abbie. Don't be ridiculous." Sheriff Corbin's voice echoed just out side the light. _

"_Gus?" Mills stared toward the sound. _

_Out into the light of the pentagram stepped Corbin looking fatherly as ever. Abbie resisted the strong urge to hug him in delight, "You're going to cast the spell again yourself!"_

"_Come again?" Abbie said incredulously. _

"_You will cast the spell again yourself." he replied simply as if it were a matter of tying a shoe. _

"_Are you insane?!" she yelled at him, nerves about to break. _

"_Question is, are you?" Corbin replied and then it all disappeared. _

"Abbie! Are you ok?" Irving leaned over her in the late sunlight looking worried.

She blinked and sat up feeling a stab of pain in her head. Reaching to the back of her skull, she found a lump that was very tender, "Yeah, I tripped and just hit my head, I guess."

"We couldn't find it." Jenny said looking very resigned.

" Well I did." Abbie replied and filled them in on her newest vision.


	6. Chapter 6

Enchanted ch6

"I've been called a lot of things, but a witch is not one of them." Abbie babbled nervously into the silence of the car ride back to the hospital. Her fingers curled reflexively around the thick leather bound, timeworn Bible in her lap trying to focus on anything but what she was about to undertake.

Jenny rolled her eyes, "Well, I can fill you in, if you feel you're missing something."

Irving scowled at both, "Enough. We have enough to do without you two acting stupid."

"She started it." Jenny injected with a smirk. Abbie bit her tongue and it was Irving's turn to roll his eyes.

They used their badges to get access to the ICU, where Ichabod rest. Hauling up a bag of items with them, Irving said he'd take a seat at the waiting room and Jenny posted up outside the door to Ichabod's room. " Let me know if you need help." she mustered in a semi-supportive tone and the hard edge was gone from her eyes. Abbie knew she meant well; she was learning to like Ichabod as a friend too.

Trying to look sure of herself, she went inside the room feeling the change in the air and the smell of hospital antiseptic grab her nose forcefully. Ichabod looked comical, almost, in a hospital gown with the ties facing forward instead of backwards. The small blue check print was horrendous compared to his typical stately coat and breeches. His hair was combed out around his face and not pulled into his trademark ponytail. It made him look younger, less serious and Abbie took a moment to watch him with no emotional pain in his expression for once.

The doctors had briefly filled them in on his condition. He had lost an extensive amount of blood, and the gaping wound they sewed, and sewed but the stitches always pulled through his flesh as if he was not substantial enough to hold the suture. To their credit, they used an elaborate wound dressing to keep infection at bay till they could come up with some other plan to close it. They were concerned about his heart because it lay almost exposed to the air and showed some damage as well. Modern medicine had blood transfusions, sterile technique, ventilators and antibiotics, but they were not sure he'd make it through the night and perhaps they were only stalling the inevitable. The soft sounds of medical equipment humming around her broke her examination of Crane as he lay still in his bed.

Searching the room for the Shade, she did not detect him. Reaching into her bag of things, she pulled out a large silver candlestick from the Annex to ward against the wraith. _Look at you Abbie, conjuring spells, using candlesticks for a club… and your sister was in the loony bin? _she chided herself as she waved her hands in the air, stereotypically like a Hollywood witch.

Going to Ichabod's bedside, she drew up a chair, setting Washington's Bible to the side, too afraid to look at Ichabod in the face up close. Taking his hand, she held it delicately for a moment, realizing how cold and pale he was. She examined his long fingers with shark knuckles, neatly groomed nails and lack of calluses. Her thoughts drifted to all the things he'd done with his hands, the adventures he'd seen, and the history he lived. "Leftenant?" the voice was a bare whisper.

Her head snapped up and looked at him, cheeks sunken in under a scruffier beard, blue eyes drifting in the hollows of their sockets, "I'm here, Crane."

"I haven't much time." he exhaled with effort.

"No, Crane. You have all the time in the world." Abbie smirked the way people do in tense, awkward situations. She suddenly felt like this was a Hallmark movie with the tragic death scene about to be circumvented.

A small smile tugged at Ichabod's lips and he blinked slowly with obvious effort, "I have seen Katrina." He struggled to inhale, "She awaits me."

"She's going to have to wait longer, Crane. I'm here to recast the spell she originally made. Our business here is not done." Abbie replied fiercely but quietly.

She saw the blue in his eyes sharpen, "You? A witch?"

"Close enough." She said standing and getting the Bible ready with her courage, "Better hope it's good enough!"

Just as Abbie opened the book to the page she had picked, a gust of wind blew her sideways into the wall. The Shade had returned full force and gave a silent roar, its hideous reptilian face displaying thousands of teeth in a wicked maw dripping with blood. Claws raked at the air just feet away from Ichabod and she could hear him groan in pain as it reached for him.

"JENNY!" Abbie shrieked as she reached next to her and pulled out the candlestick swinging it like a club. The creature backpedaled some as Jenny burst into the room also brandishing a candlestick and what looked like a bundle of herbs and dried flowers.

The Shade paused before it lunged at the two women, but the Mills sisters feinted and weaved so that the wraith couldn't get a hand on them. Herding it into to a corner away from Ichabod, a nurse poked her head in for regular patient check and screamed in horror. The two women's attention was distracted slightly. The Shade took advantage and struck, leaping across the ceiling and straight into Ichabod's body. A blast of light appeared as his torso jerked upward as if impaled by a huge object then he fell back to the mattress like a ragdoll.

Every sensor attached to Crane went flat line, beeps sounded and alarms wailed. Abbie felt like her soul had been cleaved in two. The spell was finally broken. "No, no, no, no!" Abbie cried out, lunging to his side; Jenny barricaded the door to prevent the crash team from gaining access. Loud voices and fists pounding on the door began.

"Do it. Do the spell. Hurry!" she growled at her sister while she held the door shut against the medical staff.

Abbie looked at Ichabod's lifeless body, all her modern devices telling her he was dead. Her brain said he was dead, her logic and training said he was dead. "He's gone." Her voice sounded hollow.

"Dammit, Abbie, how many miracles do you have to SEE before you think you can do one yourself!" Jenny yelled at her and suddenly a light clicked on in Abbie's head. Forgoing the page she had marked for the spell, she opened to another: John chapter 11 and began to read the story of Lazarus. She read in a calm, powerful voice like her mother taught them to do in church. She wanted everyone in that room and beyond to hear her words. In that one moment, she felt Corbin's presence and Knapp's and even a hint of Katrina's.

Golden light coalesced around her and Ichabod and formed into a ribbon, which began to weave across his chest in a serpentine manner. She kept reading and reading till the story was done and when the light faded, there was a beep. His heart began to beat and Ichabod took his second life saving breath of air.

"Thank you!" Abbie looked to the heavens and then all but collapsed on the floor.

Jenny opened the door and found Frank having a heated discussion with the head physician, security guards and the Sleepy Hollow Police, "No, he is NOT some messed up government project. Just let my people handle this!" Frank gritted his teeth at the attending.

The physician was about to retort when Jenny opened the door to the room, "All better now."


	7. Chapter 7

Enchanted ch7

"Let me in there now!" the attending physician bellowed and pushed past Jenny who made a rude face as he shoved past.

"Pushy, pushy!" Jenny muttered as a few nurses crammed in as well. Irving gave her a questioning eye and she winked and smiled.

The doctor found Abbie holding Ichabod's hand again, sitting primly on the far side of the bed, candlestick and other materials stuffed hastily into their duffle hiding next to her feet behind the bed. She found herself holding her breath as the doctor barged in.

"What in God's name is going on in here? How dare you block me from my patient!" he yelled, his eyes wild and furious.

"Doctor, please. No need for such an excessive volume." Ichabod unexpectedly spoke up quietly, making Abbie jump at the sound of his voice. The doctor gaped in astonishment. The nurses also were stunned. Crane regarded them calmly but wearily from his bed; eyes alight with life and the shadow of death not hovering over him.

"How? What …?" the physician stammered.

Jenny strutted in, "Well, we were visiting with our very good friend, when my clumsy sister bumped all your fancy stuff here." She gestured widely to the biometric apparatus, "Which then set off all the bells and whistles. Sorry, our bad."

"But I saw… I saw… a thing." The nurse who had peeked in for rounds looked around terrified as if the creature was still in the room.

"You know, I think you were working too hard and your shift was _too long_. I think you need some rest." Jenny soothed with a Cheshire cat smile.

The doctor lunged across the room and examined Ichabod, who regarded him with some amusement, until his discomfiture surfaced. "Ms. Mills, if you would avert your eyes, please." Ichabod asked, his cheeks pinking slightly.

"Oh… for heavens… fine." Abbie let go of his hand and turned away crossing her arms over her chest, "As If I haven't seen a naked guy before."

At that comment, Ichabod's mouth opened then shut too stunned to retort.

"He's healed. Completely healed!" the doctor exclaimed as he stood back from the bed, "I have no idea…. How?"

"The Lord works in mysterious ways, doctor." Jenny extoled rolling her eyes heavenward and holding her palms upward as if in supplication. Abbie thought she was going to puke with the false virtue.

"We'd like him discharged, ASAP." Irving cut in quickly, asserting his presence more into the room.

"No. No, he can't leave. I… I need to run tests, examine him more, take samples, run MRI's, publish papers!" the doctors voice was rising in pitch while gesticulating wildly.

"No, you don't. He's all better. I heard your own admission. Crane, you ready do go home?" Irving asked looking past the flustered doctor to the prone Revolutionary.

"I most certainly am. These beds are not comfortable in the slightest way." Ichabod affirmed, but his voice was still wavering.

"You heard the man. Discharge papers, now." Frank ordered the medical staff like he would his officers. The command worked, people moved and within the hour, Crane signed himself out of the hospital as the doctor loudly protesting it was strongly against his advice.

Abbie helped the much taller Ichabod into her bed, although it was very clear he was highly uncomfortable with his arm draped across her shoulder and being in his long shirt, only.

"Ichabod, let's get something straight." she said matter-of-fact, looking up at his face that was inches from hers as she helped support him to the bed, "You've seen me shirtless, and I've seen you sans shirt too. So, just _relax_. You're staying here a few days to regain your strength. That's all. Not like I'm going to _ravish_ you or something." She pronounced 'ravish' in her faux British accent that annoyed Ichabod so much.

Cheeks flushed with mortification, but an incensed look in his eyes, he retorted as Abbie helped him swing his legs up onto the mattress, "Leftenant! If you think for one moment that I will resign my breeding only for the fact I am no longer in my nascent time period, then—"

"Then what, Crane? You'll just use big words at me?" Abbie interrupted him as she pulled her riotous floral sheets up to his armpits. She stepped back and smiled sweetly at him, "See, all better."

Ichabod closed his mouth and tilted his head upward slightly affecting a haughty air, noting how soft her bed was and how the sheets smelled delightful. "Well, yes, I suppose. I believe I need to ask you to … how do you phrase it 'give me a break'."

She chuckled at him in spite of herself like he was some awkward toddler, "Yes, Crane. I'll cut you some slack."

"What does that expression—" once again something interrupted him. Jenny had just opened Abbie's apartment door followed closely by Frank.

"Ever heard of a doorbell?" Abbie complained sourly as they crossed from room to room and finally into Abbie's bedroom.

"Um, ever heard of a roommate?" Jenny fired back. A few visible sparks flew between the sisters like static electricity.

"Ok, twaddle dee and dum, cool it. Man, Crane, if you lay in bed any more, you will be Rip Van Winkle for sure!" Frank chided putting his hands on his hips.

"I believe, Captain, that if you had these past events occur to yourself, you also would not be so eager to be up and about." Ichabod answered carefully and everyone noticed his tone was not top notch.

"I have the perfect pick me up." Jenny inserted into the uncomfortable silence of Ichabod's mortality hanging in the air.

"And what is that?" Abbie prodded her sister.

"Chicken noodle soup." Jenny smiled nicely for a change.

"That is for head colds. Not gaping chest wounds." Abbie rebuked. Irving looked intrigued. It had been a while since he had homemade soup.

"Well, it's the one thing Momma taught me how to cook well before… Well anyway. Let me whip some up for our _guest_." Jenny replied as a sad shadow passed her face before she exited to the small kitchen. The cacophony of pots and pans began to be heard from the kitchen. All three of them cringed.

Irving decided to lighten the mood from the potential disaster brewing in the kitchen, " Should we start thinking that Abbie here is our new witch in town?"

"Hey, I didn't do an hocus pocus there… I just read. I read and read." Abbie backed up slightly hands up in an innocent expression.

"Well then how did that happen?" Irving nodded toward Ichabod, who was propped up with large chintz print pillows. Abbie tried not to chuckle at the humorous scene.

"I think I may be of assistance in explaining this phenomenon." Crane's voice again two quarts low, was quiet as if he were talking gently to a child. They looked at him for his take of the situation, "When I was, dead- " he swallowed as if he had great difficulty saying that word, "as I was being lifted heavenward, I saw you reading the Bible. Reverend Knapp and your sheriff friend appeared next to you and lay hands upon you. The spell began to flow from them through you to me. Katrina also contributed, however less I think because of her current location." He paused looking glum, but then continued, " And she guided them through you."

Abbie feeling touched, went to stand next to Ichabod who looked exhausted, and put her hand on his shoulder with a small smile, "See, I knew I wasn't a witch."

"But there was more. The demon was pulling on my soul, which was caught in their collective web of light. He was about to pull me away, and a sudden burst of silver light burned him, and it came from you, from your heart." Ichabod continued as she thought for a moment she saw a glimmer of moisture in his eye. "I do not know what that force was, but it overpowered him and helped to seal my scars, and save my life."

"Sounds like love to me." Irving interjected shoving his hands into his pants pockets, breaking the intensity of the moment.

Abbie whipped a look at him, almost angrily, "But I don't _love_ Ichabod. He's still… married."

Ichabod colored again feeling as if it was Abraham and Katrina all over again. A cold sweat broke out over his forehead.

Frank laughed like a big brother teasing a younger sibling about some puppy love affair, "No, you silly woman. Man… you say the L-world and they go all nuts, right Crane?" he looked at Ichabod but Crane only nodded mutely wondering what the Captain meant, "The story, Lazarus rising from the dead. Why was he raised? Because Jesus loved Lazarus, his kinsman. Abbie, didn't you love Corbin?"

Abbie looked down at the floor, the painful memory still very fresh, "Well of course! He was like a father to me."

"Right. And that's different from Luke or even… Brooks?" Irving hesitated on the name of the creepy ghostly member of the Sleepy Hollow police force.

"Where are you going with this?" she asked him aggressively.

"I am simply suggesting that you and Mr. 1776 have developed that one thing that all great partners have. Love for each other. " Irving lectured, "But not that romantic crap. Hell no. You all start doing that, then I'm reassigning you, Horseman or not. I don't need more drama in the squad."

Ichabod realized he had been holding his breath while the Captain explained himself and now chuckled in a low, tension relieving way. Abbie joined in with the now obvious humor and Irving looked around the room like he was Dr. Phil, proud that he got a chance to solve some hocus pocus stuff of his own.

"Soup's ready!" Jenny came in wearing an apron which was very unlike her, with a bed lap tray and a steaming bowl of something. Abbie and Frank sniffed appreciatively.

With a grand flourish she deposited it on Ichabod's lap. He thanked her and unfolded the napkin she provided. Lifting the spoon he dipped into the gold broth and sipped. His eyes widened as they watched him carefully and almost suspiciously.

"Like it?" Jenny asked, looking very confident.

"Ms. Jenny, it is a delightful meal. Thank you for preparing it for me. I am much obliged." Crane replied in his warm generous tone. Jenny beamed at him. Abbie and Frank looked at each other suspiciously.

"Can we have some too, Martha Stewart ?" Frank asked cautiously.

"Sure. Enough to go around." Jenny said ignoring Franks prod and waved them towards the kitchen to fill some bowls.

Ichabod sat alone while they were getting served, thinking that if he had to finish his days in this century, he was very lucky to have these people to be with. That thought warmed his heart more than any spell could.


	8. Epilogue

Enchanted—Epilogue

Dinner was done, dishes washed and put away. Jenny being apparently more hip and into Frank than Abbie was, went out for a drink with him. For once, she felt her apartment had a cozy warm feeling that had been missing for a long time, or maybe it was her content, full belly, or perhaps that her partner was once again safe. Abbie made a note to ask Jenny when their mom had taught her that recipe because she obviously had missed out somewhere along the line.

"Crane, you want a drink?" Abbie called from her small kitchen.

"Do you have any madeira?" Crane replied.

"Madea? What?" Mills called back.

"Never mind. How about rum?" he returned.

"Sorry. I have some…. " He heard clanking of glassware, " I have some Four Roses bourbon. When did I get that?"

"That would be satisfactory, Ms. Mills." he said and then heard two glasses and pouring liquid. She entered with the glasses and the bottle under her arm.

"Now, let's not repeat Thanksgiving, shall we?" she said handing over his glass and sitting beside her own bed in an upholstered armchair. Ichabod still remained propped up against her headboard with her chintz pillows.

He raised the glass and she clinked it, "Certainly not Ms. Mills. Certainly not."

Sipping, he licked his lips appreciatively, "This is one thing England never had. A good distilled spirit."

"Yeah, not sure why I have this, but it certainly warms, doesn't it?" she mentioned, swirling the amber liquid in the highball glass, admiring the play of the light.

A comfortable silence passed between them, each lost in their thoughts for a moment.

Ichabod broke the quiet looking intently at her, "Thank you."

Abbie glanced at him, "What for?"

"For saving my life." he replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, you are my partner. That's what partners do; protect, comfort, care for, each other." Abbie filled in.

"You are not going to say that word, hmm?" Ichabod teased, the bourbon warming him up in his convalescent state a little faster than if he was completely healthy.

Mills gave him a semi-withering look, "Love? See, I said it. I can say that word."

"Saying and feeling it are two very disparate things, Ms. Mills." he teased further, a mischievous wink in his eyes.

"That's the liquor talking." Abbie retorted, "I thought we swore off discussing personal relationships."

"True. True. Sorry if I offended." He became more somber.

Abbie decided she didn't like somber Ichabod since he spent so much time there, "So what if I did say I love you as a partner, a friend. Would that offend your _gentle spirit_?" She intoned 'gentle spirit' in her faux English accent.

"Well, _girl friend_, if you did, I would be more than honored by your regards." he countered with a vernacular term that he knew bothered her.

"Ok, let's make a deal. We each speak our own version of English. That was really ugly just then." Mills replied sipping her bourbon.

"Indeed." He raised his glass again, a bit of a fuzzy sound in his voice, "To Love!"

"To love." Abbie echoed and clinked glasses again wondering what lay ahead of this new depth in their partnership.


End file.
